WH: Golf Good for 'Relief and Clearing of the Mind'

White House deputy press secretary Eric Schultz defended President Barack Obama’s decision to play golf after issuing a statement about James Foley’s murder by saying that “sports and leisure activities are a good way for relief and clearing of the mind” on Friday.

While Schultz said “I am not going to get into the president’s mindset on that,” he added, “I will say that generally I think that sports and leisure activities are a good way for relief and clearing of the mind for a lot of us.”

Schultz also pointed to the president’s “candid,” “open,” and “honest” statement about Foley, and stated that “the issues the country’s facing both on the international stage and back here at home have absolutely captured the president’s attention while we have been here.”